Just a Little Crack
by LittleSpringroll
Summary: "Every time I see you mad or sad, it's all Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!" - FranticShipping vs. WildsideShipping oneshot. For Sapphire's b-day.


_This was written for Sapphire's birthday, but since FanFiction was down yesterday, I'm posting it today._

_I had three reasons for writing this:_

_1) I wanted to post something for Sapphire's birthday!_

_2) I wanted to make a lame pun (crack ship - crack in the ground)._

_3) The world is severely lacking in Wildside stories that don't exclude Ruby._

_Also, I haven't read much in Sapphire's P.O.V. She makes it so hard with the way she talks!_

_**Sapph:** What'cha talkin' about? I ain't doin' nothin' wrong!_

_*sweatdrop*...Thank you for proving my point, Sapphire. Well, enjoy the story!_

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, stupid. That jerk," I mutter under my breath. I push a branch this way, pull a twig that away, and– _snap!_

"Ouch!" I cry. I glance down. My blue shirt's a l'il torn at the side. Seems like the forest ain't on my side today. I know I should'a been more careful, but right now, all I can think about is that Prissy Boy. Just rememberin' makes me mixed up inside…

"Ruby!" I'd grinned at him when he showed up. "Ya know what day today is?"

He just stood there, dumbfounded. He was all like, "Hump day?"

As always, I yelled at him. "Idiot, whaddaya think?" He might be forgitful, but there was no way he could'a forgotten _this_.

Ruby was so sincere-lookin' as he told me, "I really don't know, Sapph." If he was jokin' he sure was good at actin'.

I couldn't believe he _forgot. _I thought about all those times we argued. All the times he forgot things. Why does he hafta always forgit the 'mportant stuff? He'd forgot about our confessin' our love. He'd forgot that we knew each other in the past. And then…

I couldn't stop it. My hand just flung out and slapped him.

He yelped and his face looked stunned, as if I'd used Thunder Wave on 'im. "What was that for?"

"Ruby, it's my BIRTHDAY, how could ya forgit?"

I don't know what he said after that, 'cause I just ran and ran and ran until I couldn't run no more.

…His forgettin' is gettin' on my nerves; did he even care enough to remember? I ball my hands up in fists and let a few tears fall. How _could _he, that – that–

"Sappho?"

Who's there? Arceus, please, no, I can't stand t' have someone see me like this. I wipe away my tears with my gloves and try t' force my lips to smile. I gotta pretend I don't care that he forgot–

"Sappho, are you okay?"

I manage a bit of a smile, just a bit, an' I turn to face whoever it is. It's Gold. Just standin' there. Guess he sees right through me, 'cause he looks so…worried. He looks like he truly cares. "What's wrong, Sapphire Birch?" he asks.

"Nothin'," I says with a little tiny sniffle. I mean, it's not like I can just _tell_ him everything, right?

He ain't believin' it, from his eyes, but he knows not t' press further just then. We stand in silence, 'cept the Pidgeys cawin' and the leaves rustlin'.

Just then, a purple monkey falls from a branch somewhere up above us. Gold grins. "Aibo!" It's his partner Pokémon, an Ambipom that loves swingin' from tree to tree just like me. The monkey chitters somethin' in Gold's ear, and he nods a few times, and then he crouches down on the ground. He pulls out his cue stick, shakin' it out to full length, and he scratches somethin' in the dirt.

"What's that?"

He stops. "You'll see." He goes back to scratchin'.

After a while, he stands back up, an' he smiles at me. I read it, and my eyes grow wide. 'Cause in the ground, right there smack in front of me, he wrote _Happy Birthday_.

Time seems to stop fer a heartbeat. He wished me happy birthday! He didn't forgit, not like _Ruby_ did.

At the thought, my slight smile turns back into a frown. Ruby seems t' ruin everything.

I look back at Gold, he's bent over, drawin' on the ground again. It's a…it's a…wait, what? I squint, but the piture stays the same. It's a heart, and it's drawn right over a crack. But that - it's impossible, there's no way he could know, I ain't that obvious, am I?

I'm speechless fer a sec. Then I recover and quickly ask, "How'd ya know how I feel?"

Gold frowns, confused. "What do you mean? …Love?"

"Whadda I mean? No, not love." I crouch down next to him an' trace the crack with my finger. "_That's _how I feel!" I turn to see his reaction.

Those golden eyes look straight into mine, and he says, "Sapphire. Tell me. Is it about Ruby again?"

I stutter out my words. "Y-yes, it - it's about him…" I can feel the heat rushin' to my cheeks, and I ain't gonna say no more, but somethin' inside me thinks it's now or never. I blurt out the rest. "I-I can't stand him, he forgot my birthday, and-and he forgits everything, I mean…ya know…" I trail off. I just can't seem to explain my feelin's well, or at least it sounds idiotic to me.

But Gold seems to get me. His eyes narrow. "How many times does that guy think he can break your heart and get away with it? I've had enough of this." He stands, snatchin' up his cue stick from the ground, startin' to walk away. "Every time I see you mad or sad, it's all Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!"

After a few moments of starin', I realize what he's about to do. Somethin' inside me seems t' snap. "Gold!" I yells, launchin' forward and grabbin' his arm. "Ya can't go after Ruby!"

He stops an' looks at me funny. "I thought you were mad at him."

"Well, yes, I mean no, I mean–" I don't know how to say it.

I set off walkin' and Gold falls int' step beside me. All sorts of thoughts swirl through my head and I don't know what t' say. Thankfully, Gold stays quiet.

I'm feelin' a bit better as we 'round the corner onto my street. I turn towards my house, and gasp when I see Ruby comin' down my front steps.

"Thank Arceus you're here!" he exclaims. "I have to go to Sinnoh for a contest, but I really wanted to see you first."

He sets a box, wrapped all up in sparkly blue wrappin' paper and tied with a shinin' red bow, down on the ground besides him.

Ruby clears his throat. "I…I have to apologize to you, Sapphire. I feel awful for forgetting your birthday."

"Oh, Ruby," I says, "I've gotten over that already. I've gotta apologize, too. I shouldn't've hit ya. But I really really wanna be best friends again!" I hold out my hand. "Best buddies?"

"Best buddies," Ruby replies with a warm smile, an' we shake hands.

Ruby turns 'round and picks up the sparkly box again. "This…is for someone really special," he says. "Someone who deserves even more than this, for all they've done for me." An' with a big smile on his face, he holds that box out in front of me.

"Ruby?" I stare in disbelief. "Ya - ya mean–"

"It's for you," he confirms.

I take it, grinnin' like an idiot. "Thanks so much, Ruby, ya don't know how much this means t' me!"

He blushes. "J-just unwrap it already."

I tear the paper off eagerly. The lid of the box is clear, an' I kin see a cake inside. The words, all written in Ruby's handwritin' say _Happy Birthday Sapph!_

"Oh! It's beautiful, Ruby! Thank you!" I wanna hug him but my arms are full. So, I just look at him gratefully as 'is eyes lock with mine.

Gold breaks the silence. "Well, now that you're home safe, I gotta go compete in the Pokéathlon. You know, some people wanna challenge me, 'cause I'm the champ."

"Oh! That's right! I gotta get to Sinnoh!" Ruby exclaims. He spins around and heads off down the street. But he's smiling so I know we're both better now.

I sigh contentedly. Me an' Ruby are best friends again.

But do I love him?

I glance down at the box in my arms, all that fancy letterin' and swirls decoratin' the cake that only Ruby could'a made. I glance up towards Gold, who's shovin' his cue stick in his pack with one hand while wavin' goodbye.

Maybe I ain't so sure no more.

But I know that no matter what, I've got two great friends who are always gonna stick by my side.


End file.
